A Man Will Leave His Mate
by Olivia Sutton
Summary: My view on how the series simply has to end. Not entirely a happy one. This fanfic is based on the new version of Randall and Hopkirk, Deceased, which aired on BBCAmerica. NOT slash.


Randall and Hopkirk, Deceased (2000) fanfic  
Archive: TV/ Randall and Hopkirk  
A Man Will Leave His Mate  
by Olivia Sutton  
23 July 2004Revised: 16 August 2004  
  
_Summary: My view on how the series simply has to end. Not entirely a happy one.  
Author Notes: This fanfic is based on the new version of Randall and Hopkirk, Deceased, now airing on BBCAmerica. Randall and Hopkirk (deceased) is copyright BBC 2000-2001. Oh, and I've tried to get the speech patterns right, but I'm not actually British, so suggestions and corrections are welcome, thanks. (Y'know, that British working-class accent is terribly difficult to reproduce!) This is the revised edition.  
_  
A MAN WILL LEAVE HIS MATE  
  
by Olivia Sutton  
  
"I'll just turn on a light, shall I?" Jeannie Hurst said, as she sat her purse and jacket down and walked into the room. "Go ahead and sit down. Would you like anything, coffee, tea?"  
  
"No, thanks, Jeannie," answered Jeff Randall.  
  
"Right..." Jeannie turned on the light and sat next to Jeff. The two sat together on the sofa for a few minutes, then Jeannie said, "Thank you for dinner, Jeff."  
  
Jeff nodded. "It was nothing, Jeannie." Looking at her he realised how that sounded, "Oh, I'm sorry, Jeannie, I didn't mean..."  
  
Instead of answering, Jeannie leaned over and kissed him.  
  
Jeff responded to the kiss, then stood up, embarrassed, "No, Jeannie, we can't....I'm sorry."  
  
"Jeff, come on..." responded Jeannie.  
  
"No, I...it's not that I don't want to."  
  
"It's Marty, isn't it? You still think of me as 'Marty's girl', don't you, Jeff?"  
  
Jeff looked at the floor, instead of at the beautiful petite blonde girl in front of him, then slowly nodded.  
  
"Marty's been gone for two years."  
  
"I'm sorry, Jeannie, I am. I'm really sorry, but I can't."  
  
"Fine. See you at work, tomorrow?"  
  
"Yeah, fine. See you then. And I'm sorry. Really. It's me, you know that, Jeannie--not you, me."  
  
Jeannie nodded, "I know, Jeff. I know. I miss him too, you know that, Jeff." She sighed, then stood. "But it's time you let him go."  
  
_But I see him every day, Jeannie_, he thought. Jeff grabbed her left hand, "Like you can forget, Jeannie." Marty's diamond engagement ring still sparkled on her finger. "Goodbye." He turned and walked out of the flat. After he left, Jeannie curled up on the sofa and cried herself to sleep.  
  
-

-  
  
Jeff slammed his car door behind himself as he sat in the car. He rested his head on the steering wheel and began to cry. After a few minutes he swallowed the tears and drove to the office.  
  
Marty Hopkirk, a ghost, dressed in white, stood outside the car, watching Jeff, from where Jeff couldn't see him. _This isn't right_, he thought.  
  
-

-  
  
Jeff walked into his office. The glass still said, **RANDALL AND HOPKIRK (deceased),** **Security Services**-- he still hadn't had the heart to take his partner's name off the door. Not since his partner and best mate's untimely death two years ago. Jeff sat behind the desk, and opened the drawer at the bottom, pulling out a bottle of whiskey.  
  
Marty appeared. "Don't Jeff."  
  
"Marty?"  
  
"Jeff, please. Just, don't."  
  
Jeff looked up, then poured himself a glass of whiskey.  
  
"Come on, Jeff--if I had known that my coming back would do this to you, I never would have become a ghost in the first place. Just don't, all right."  
  
Jeff picked up the glass, and threw it across the room.  
  
"You're angry."  
  
"No kidding, Marty."  
  
"So tell me, what's wrong?"  
  
"It's Jeannie."  
  
"Jeff, listen to me. It's okay--what's happening between you and Jeannie, it's okay."  
  
"It's never been 'okay', before. And anyway, she's your girl, Marty."  
  
"Not anymore she's not."  
  
"Marty?"  
  
"You love her, Jeff, admit it," said the ghost.  
  
"Yeah, I do, Marty," replied Jeff, a dreamy look on his face.  
  
Marty turned away, and said, "It's okay, Jeff, you can be with Jeannie, I don't mind. You're not betraying me, y'know."  
  
"Turn and face me and say that again, Marty, and I'll believe you."  
  
Marty took a deep breath and turned. "All right, it's true, I **do** still love her. But I can't watch you tear yourself apart because of some sort of loyalty to me. Jeannie is free, Jeff. And...and seeing you two together, it would make me happy. I don't want either of you to be alone."  
  
"I don't know, Marty."  
  
"The alive deserve to be alive, Jeff. You and Jeannie need each other. I want you to be together. I want you both to be happy. I hate seeing you like this, drinking alone in the office."  
  
Jeff said nothing.  
  
"This is why I came back in the first place, Jeff. It's why I appeared to you, and not Jeannie. I knew you needed me more than she did."  
  
"Marty..."  
  
"It wasn't your fault, you know, Jeff."  
  
"Yeah it **was**, Marty. I didn't take the case seriously. I never thought...I didn't think there was **any** danger, so I didn't take it seriously. And look what happened."  
  
"No, Jeff."  
  
Jeff didn't answer.  
  
"Come on, Jeff, how long are you going to wallow in guilt? Stop it."  
  
"Marty..."  
  
"Jeff, be sensible. Talk to Jeannie. Please."  
  
Jeff stood, "I don't know if I can."  
  
"Yeah, you can, Jeff. Let Jeannie know how you feel, before she decides to find someone else."  
  
Jeff looked at Marty.  
  
"I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry, I can't tell you anymore, Jeff."  
  
Jeff looked at his partner, his best friend.  
  
"No, no puppy dog eyes, Jeff. There are some things, I just can't tell you."  
  
Jeff nodded. Then reached for the phone.  
  
-

-  
  
Jeff sat in the restaurant, waiting. That it was the same place that Marty had taken them to celebrate his engagement to Jeannie wasn't lost on Jeff. Just then Jeannie entered the restaurant and made her way to Jeff's table. She sat down.  
  
"Listen, Jeff. I've made a decision. I'm leaving."  
  
"You can't, Jeannie, please. What would I do without you?"  
  
"I can't stay, Jeff."  
  
"What about the business? You're a better detective than I am, Jeannie. You and I both know it."  
  
"I'll find you a replacement. But I can't stay, not anymore."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I need to get on with my life, Jeff--and so do you."  
  
"Wait, Jeannie..."  
  
She stood up. "This was a bad idea. I shouldn't have come. Did you have to pick this place?"  
  
"What? It's your favorite restaurant."  
  
"It was **Marty's** favorite restaurant, Jeff. This is exactly what I mean--you can't let go."  
  
"Wait, Jeannie, look, I'm sorry, I'm sorry about last night, and I'm sorry about today, but I've...I've made up my mind. Marry me, Jeannie."  
  
"Oh, come on, Jeff--you think you can trick me into staying, by saying that?" She moved to gather up her coat and purse.  
  
Jeff fumbled in his pocket and threw a jewelry case on the table, "I mean it, Jeannie. I love you! I've always loved you! Now will you marry me or not?"  
  
Jeannie gasped, and sat down, "You mean it, don't you?"  
  
Jeff nodded.  
  
Jeannie looked at him, "Yes."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
She nodded, "Yes, Jeff."  
  
Jeff rose from the table and walked to her side, "I really do love you, Jeannie, you know that, don't you?"  
  
"I know," she smiled at him.  
  
Jeff went to her, and held her close. Then he knelt and put the engagement ring on her finger. Her empty finger. "Hey, Jeannie, when did you stop wearing your other ring?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're other ring--you were still wearing it last night."  
  
"Oh, I took it off, today, on the way here. I thought that if I was going to tell you, you need to put Marty to rest, then I better put him to rest, as well."  
  
"You loved him?"  
  
"Of course, I loved him. I was going to **marry** him, big clown that he was. Still, I love you, Jeff."  
  
Jeff smiled, "I do love you, Jeannie, I always have." He hugged her, then kissed her passionately.  
  
"Oh, Jeff!" She said. "Jeff, let's get out of here. We should have lunch someplace else."  
  
"Yes, all right, Jeannie."  
  
The two walked out of the restaurant, together. Marty watched them leave together, a tear in his eye. _That is as it should be_, he thought.  
  
-

-  
  
Jeff Randall stood in the quiet cemetery, looking at his partner's grave.  
  
"Did you talk to her, Jeff?" said Marty, as he appeared next to Jeff, even though he knew the answer.  
  
Jeff nodded, "I gave her a ring, Marty, and she accepted it," he said quietly.  
  
"That's great, Jeff. Really."  
  
"I still...Marty, are you sure you're okay with this? Are you really sure? It's not too late for me to tell Jeannie I changed my mind."  
  
"Jeff!"  
  
"What, Marty?" Jeff said, with tears in his eyes.  
  
"I came back for a reason, Jeff."  
  
"So you've said."  
  
"No, it's you, Jeff. I came back so you'd be all right. Are you happy, then?"  
  
"Jeannie and I are very happy. She couldn't believe it when I apologised and offered her the ring at lunch today." Jeff smiled, thinking of Jeannie's reaction.  
  
Marty nodded, "Jeff, there's something I have to tell you."  
  
"It does bother you, doesn't it, Marty? You told me you still love Jeannie--it bothers you that we're getting married."  
  
"No, that's not it, Jeff," Marty turned and began to pace. "Look, you no longer need me."  
  
"Oh, that's not true, Marty--you're my best mate, and all."  
  
"Jeff--it's time you got on without me. I've got to leave."  
  
Jeff looked at him, confused, "What about the rhyme?"  
  
Marty looked at his partner, his friend, _What I wouldn't give to touch you, now, Jeff, one last_ _time_, he thought. "I came back for a reason. I came back, because of you, Jeff." Marty shook, as a memory hit him, "Jeff, I needed to see you happy. And I needed for...I needed for you to be all right. Jeff..." Marty sighed, "It's time for me to leave you, Jeff. If I stay now, I'll be doing more harm than good. I've got to leave."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
Unseen by Jeff, but seen by Marty, Wyvern appeared next to Marty.  
  
"I can't tell you that. There's some things I'm not permitted to tell you."  
  
Jeff nodded. "Will I see you again?"  
  
Marty looked pained, "Not as a ghost, Jeff."  
  
"But I will see you again?"  
  
Marty looked at Wyvern, then he slowly nodded. "Jeff, Take care of Jeannie for me?"  
  
Jeff nodded, again, "I will, Marty, I will."  
  
Marty looked over at Wyvern, then asked him, "Can't I just...just once?"  
  
"No, I'm sorry, it's not possible, Marty."  
  
"Who are you talking to?" said Jeff.  
  
Marty ignored him, "No hug, not even a handshake?"  
  
"No, Marty," said Wyvern, "You know the rules. Say your goodbyes, and come on."  
  
Marty sighed, and turned from Wyvern to his partner, "Goodbye, Jeff."  
  
"Goodbye, Marty."  
  
Marty turned then and walked off into a bright light and disappeared.

Jeff Randall looked around the cemetery. He was alone. He'd seen Marty Hopkirk walk off and disappear. Tears fell down his face. "Goodbye, Marty," he whispered, touching the cold gravestone of his friend. "Goodbye." Jeff Randall turned and walked away.  
-  
-  
  
THE END 


End file.
